Walking in Circles Before Lying Down by Merrill Markoe

In ten words or less: Dysfunctional family, rotten boyfriend--only Dawn's dog Chuck understands her.

Review: Twice-divorced Dawn Tarnauer's life is a mess. Her self-absorbed family blame her for all their troubles; she's between jobs; and her mostly-unemployed boyfriend leaves to follow his dreams of fame and fortune. And then her dog dies.
Dawn hadn't planned on getting a new dog soon, but something about the mongrel at the shelter "spoke" to her. And little did she know that Chuck--for that was his name--could actually speak. Other dogs also spoke to her, and much of it was not complimentary.

Why bother? Terribly funny story of a girl and her dog by Emmy-winning writer Markoe.